After being introduced to audio techniques through sources such as HowSound’s Dissection Joann Rosser, Papermaker and cogdog’s clip of Radiolab’s Detective Stories (2007), I listened to my first audiostory: The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

I chose to listen to two stories, Dr. Watson Meets Sherlock Holmes (1954) and Murder by Moonlight (1945). I’m mainly going to be talking about the former audiostory and how effective it was in telling the story. They used a couple different audio techniques to convey the story, such as sound effects and music.

They used music at the very beginning of the story to sort of bring the listener into it. They also used the sound effect of horses and a buggy on cobblestones to put in the listener’s mind the setting of the story. Already, the listener has an image of their head of where this story is taking place. Also, they use music strategically to indicate a pause in action, an audio paragraph inserted into the story. This technique allows the listener to pause in thought and acknowledge the shift in the story. Intense music plays when action ends and dialogue begins or right before action begins.

This episode begins with lots of dialogue that describes how Dr. Watson first met Sherlock Holmes and he introduces the story he’s going to tell. Meanwhile, there is soft music in the background. It’s interesting because he’s introducing a flashback to previous times. A sound effect interrupts the scene, the sound of a bell ringing, and without Dr. Watson or Holmes saying anything, the listener knows already knows that a third person is entering the scene. The technique of using sound effects allows the listener to think a few steps ahead of the scene and anticipate what will happen next or move with the scene at the same time as it occurs.

This audio storytelling does a really great job with utilizing various techniques to impact the understanding and feelings the listeners have towards the story. They use several different tones of voice to convey certain situations: they use raised voices/shouting during highly intense action scenes, they whisper when the characters are in situations where they must be discreet, and use normal “indoor voices” when they are just having normal conversations.

Also, they follow up dialogue with sound effects that represent what they were referring to. For example, Holmes talks about the storm outside, and when he “goes outside,” the listener hears the sound effects of the howling of the wind and the rain hitting the streets. These techniques help the reader understand exactly what’s happening, they can experience the atmosphere themselves, and feel like they could be right there with Dr. Watson and Holmes.